Chapter Four #2
Stone moved closer to Lysander’s hiding spot. From his experience, anytime anyone wanted to hide, the trees were the place to be. No one ever looked up. Making a liar of him, Stone focused on him like he had known exactly where Lysander had been hiding all along.
Lysander panicked a little. He didn’t want Stone to think he had been stalking him, even though he had. Fairies could rarely resist the scent of a sexual being like Stone. “Who are you?” There. It was like they had truly happened upon each other.
Stone blinked, as if Lysander’s question caught him off guard. “Stone.” The wickedest smile Lysander had ever seen stretched Stone’s lips. “I bet you have a sexy name. One that sounds amazing when moaned.”
A smile exploded across Lysander’s face. “You should find out.” He nearly cackled at Stone’s expression. The vamp had not seen that one coming, apparently.
Stone quickly rallied, making Lysander proud. He held his arms up. “I’ll catch you.”
Lysander knew he would, but Lysander believed in full transparency. His wings unfurled and gently lowered him into Stone’s hold.
Stone smirked. “That was hot.”
Something stirred inside Lysander he hadn’t felt in years, real lust. Not just the need to energize himself, but pure desire and hunger. He would embrace it.
“I guess after I ran into a sexy Scot in the middle of the night, I didn’t want anyone else.”
“Holy shit, Lysander. That was months ago. I know I was kind of out of it the other day when you were slipping away and didn’t firmly grasp a thing, but fuck. You never should’ve gone that long without feeding.”
A smile tugged at Lysander’s lips at Stone’s outrage.
“At first, I had no plans to do so. Then we kept running into each other, and you infuriated me like no one ever has. But I couldn’t stop craving you, and I didn’t know why, and that pissed me off even more.
” He shrugged. “I suppose I was obsessed.”
“We kept running into each other?”
Damn. It seemed they hadn’t. “I’m guessing you were possessed the entire time.”
Stone’s lips skimmed Lysander’s neck, making his breathing shaky. “Not the night we met. I was there for every earthshaking moment of that. Since then, it’s just the scattered and broken memory here and there.”
Lysander was torn between giving in to temptation and curiosity. “What’s the last clear memory you have?” Maybe they could retrace Stone’s steps.
He saw Stone flipping through the visions in his head, searching for the answer.
“Walking through the woods the morning after we met. I didn’t want to leave, but it was time for my shift at Frost’s.
My every thought was still with you. I don’t remember seeing any threats.
All I could think about was how good you tasted, and I was dying to know how sweet your blood would be.
I was plotting ways to see you again, and that never happens to me.
Then Frost’s cabin came into view from the woods, and then nothing.
” Stone held his silence. His frustration was crushing Lysander’s chest. “What have I been doing this entire time? It could’ve been anything. ”
“I don’t know.” Lysander spoke the words quietly.
Stone’s story cleared up nothing. All he had now was more questions.
One of their run-ins had been at Aspen’s house.
Lysander had flirted heavily with the bear and even had a date planned.
When he had shown up, Stone had already been there.
He had acted suspicious when he saw Lysander.
At the time, Lysander thought Aspen was another of Stone’s conquests, and they had a heated argument. The memory deepened his confusion.
“Do you remember seeing me at Aspen’s place?”
“Aspen has a place in Wulfe?”
Damn, he really had missed a lot. “Yes. He’s Leif’s mate. That’s beside the point, though. We fought that night. When I showed up on his doorstep, you were there. We equally accused each other of sleeping with Aspen.”
“Why?” Stone sounded confused to the point of anger.
Lysander waved the question away. “It doesn’t matter now. The point is, you genuinely fought with me—ugly jealousy and all. Why would this entity do that? He could’ve just walked away from me and not engaged. Why hold that argument?”
He could practically hear the wheels turning in Stone’s head. Finally, he sighed. “I guess we’ll never know now. What did I say I was doing at Aspen’s place?”
Lysander shrugged. “You refused to tell me. You just kept repeating it was business. Obviously, that was so outlandish, I didn’t believe you. We should question some people. Maybe we can figure this mess out.”
Stone kissed his shoulder. “Is it okay if we don’t focus on this anymore today?”
Lysander got it. They were newly mated. It was supposed to be their time to savor the blessing they had been handed.
I’m glad it’s you.
A smile touched Lysander’s lips as the words brushed his mind. “I’ll make you happy.”
He felt Stone smile against his shoulder. “Not even a concern of mine.” His hand slid down Lysander’s stomach. “I’ll make us both happy.”
Oh, Lysander knew that. He was already ecstatic.
With his gaze locked on the corner of the room, Frost ran through every second he had spent with Stone since he reopened the doors to his practice.
He found it hard to believe Stone had been possessed the entire time.
The guy had been right there, inches from Celina a dozen times.
Anything could have happened. Obviously, Frost would have shredded him to pieces.
But Stone could have killed her before Frost saw it coming.
His heart couldn’t handle even the thought of it.
“I think the three of you should move here.”
At the suggestion, Frost tore his gaze away from the hole he stared into the wall. “What?”
Lucifer paced with Celina asleep on his shoulder. “My grandbaby isn’t safe with Bodhi on the loose. I should’ve known he would be back one day, especially since I found you. We need to be proactive. You should live here.”
He had too many thoughts to name. “You think the woman who raised me would hurt Celina?”
“We’re not raising our daughter in Hell,” Gemini said at the same time.
Lucifer rolled his eyes at Gemini. “You can’t possibly think I wouldn’t create a little paradise here for her.
Nothing about your home would remotely seem like Hell.
Plus, you’re here now. I know you don’t think you’ll stop bringing her here as she ages.
” The dark note in Lucifer’s tone said that they would never keep Celina from him.
Frost interceded. “Of course, she’ll always be available for you. You’re her Papaw. She adores you, and you’re my dad. I feel the same.”
Lucifer sniffed but seemed mollified.
Frost pressed on. “Gemini just means she shouldn’t have to hide. We shouldn’t have to keep her from the sunshine and fresh air. She’s half snow leopard. Being trapped will eventually go against her nature. Plus, we shouldn’t have to live in fucking fear all the time. This is ridiculous.”
Lucifer sat. His gaze never wavered from Frost. “You’re my son.
I would never allow harm to come to your family.
To answer your question, I doubt Bodhi would physically hurt you.
But he’s already cursed you once, and Gemini could be next…
or Celina. Maybe he’ll see her as an abomination he needs to destroy. ”
Fuck. He got it, but he really didn’t want to live in Hell. He had a practice and a family. A life.
Lucifer’s shoulders slumped as if he listened to Frost’s thoughts.
A bassinet appeared at his side. Lucifer gently put Celina down so she wouldn’t wake.
Immediately, Yuri and Brownie flanked her and rested their big canine heads on the edge of the bed.
The way they stared at her had Frost’s heart overflowing with love.
Celina was well guarded here. Well loved here. He couldn’t make this decision.
“Has Celeste met her yet?”
The quietly spoken question dragged his attention back to his dad. “No. It’s not that I’m still angry or anything. I don’t know why, honestly.”
Lucifer’s serious tone never wavered. “You should call out to her. If you can’t raise Celina here, let Celeste help protect her. I’d offer a demon to guard her, but I know you’d never accept. You’ll probably feel more comfortable with an angel.”
We’re hurting him.
Gemini sent the mental message at the same moment he had a similar thought. Frost didn’t know how to handle this. I want us on the same page.
He felt Gemini’s support before he even responded.
I trust you. In retrospect, he created Celina.
He loves her. That’s massive. He’d never let her be harmed, but there is someone out there who might feel differently.
He’s right: your aunt or not, she might see Celina as something she can’t allow to live.
Unfortunately, Frost had already had that worry in the back of mind before anyone else had spoken it.
Gemini’s and Lucifer’s words meant Frost wasn’t just needlessly worried.
His aunt had been reborn. He didn’t know her anymore.
It seemed she was a man now. Frost wouldn’t see her coming. Bodhi could be anyone.
“I suppose this would allow me to convert the entire cabin into a clinic and have a few more private rooms for patients. I could deliver babies there in a controlled environment.”
Lucifer looked flabbergasted and afraid to hope. “I could do that for you in a snap.”
“Maybe you should teach Frost how to do it himself in a snap. That’s a skill he’ll need if he intends to live here.” Riku had been so quiet, sitting in the corner with a book, Frost had forgotten he was there.
Frost had to slow things down. “Wait. I haven’t agreed to anything yet.
There’s no way for patients to contact me here.
I’m grateful you created a new mirror for us, so I wouldn’t have to fall through the ceiling with Celina, but I understand that’s a risk.
Celina isn’t any better protected if people can pour in to seek help. ”
Lucifer waved off his concerns. “I already have a few ideas to ensure your place in Wulfe isn’t affected. If you hadn’t been called to help, I never would’ve found you. That oddly matters to me.”
A bark of laughter burst from Frost at the droll words. Now he sounded like Lucifer. He glanced Gemini’s way. Gemini held his stare. Neither of them wanted this, but Celina had to come first. They would make it work.